Tag Archives: David Wright

Something that does not seem like it’s discussed often amongst the Mets fanbase is the question of whether the Mets will retire David Wright’s number 5 whenever he does call it a career. The Mets have not exactly had a rich history full of cornerstone players, and as a result there have only been a few numbers the team has retired. Gill Hodges (14), Casey Stengel (37), Mike Piazza (31), Jackie Robinson (42), the name Shea for William Shea is next to these retired numbers, and of course the franchise’s best all-time player, Tom Seaver (41). But, will David Wright’s number be added amongst the retired numbers seen at Citi Field?

When someone talks about the Mets best players in franchise history, of course their best pitcher and player of all-time is Tom Seaver. But, who’s been their best hitter? One can make the argument for Darryl Strawberry, who leads the Mets franchise in home runs, but he only played with the team for 8 seasons. But, what about David Wright? Wright has not played a bulk of games with the Mets since 2014, but his numbers make you wonder if he will have his number 5 retired at some point. The Mets all-time leader in hits, doubles, RBI’s, and just 10 home runs behind Darryl Strawberry’s club record, David Wright has been one the best to ever wear a Met uniform.

David Wright has been the Mets captain for quite some time now, and has wore the orange and blue since 2004. With a great attitude and great leadership qualities, he was a key player in 2006 when the Mets made it to the NLCS, racking up a .311 batting average with 26 home runs and 116 RBI’s during that season. His best statistical season was in 2008, where he hit 33 home runs, drove in 124 runs, and had a .302 batting average. But, as the team started to fall and struggle for much of the late 2000s and early 2010s, Wright was still here through it all, leading the team. Unfortunately, now the team has been much more competitive, but Wright has not played in more than 40 games in a season since 2014. He did make it back in time for the Mets run to the World Series in 2015, and even hit a home run in game 3 of the World Series, one of the prouder moments Mets fans had seen in quite some time.

As we sit in 2017, there is a question of if David Wright will ever play another game, as he is currently on the DL, trying to recover from neck surgery that has caused trouble in his throwing shoulder. Some wonder if he will retire at the end of this season. Some Mets fans are frustrated, but since 2004, no one has meant more to the organization than David Wright. The franchise’s all-time leader in plate appearances, how could they not retire his number with these career stats: 242 home runs, 970 RBI’s, and a .296 career batting average. And of course, he’s a 7 time all-star, a 2 time silver slugger, and a 2 time gold glove winner.

So, the conversation on if the Mets will retire David Wright’s number will probably heat up whenever it is he retires. Is David Wright a hall of famer? No, but he did have the potential to end up in Cooperstown early on in his career, but injuries have slowed down what he could have accomplished. But, should the Mets retire his number 5 and have it next to Met icons at Citi Field including Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza? Yes, absolutely, because when you ask who Met icons are next to Seaver and Piazza, you have to talk about David Wright, and what he meant to an organization that has not had a great amount of success throughout it’s history. David Wright has been the Mets best all around hitter, and one can only imagine what his numbers would be if he could have remained healthy. But, for now he still is rehabbing with the hopes of wearing a Mets uniform again. That is who David Wright has been his whole career, a competitor, and he still is. David Wright should, and will be forever engraved in Mets history.